There is an increasing need to replace environmentally hazardous and toxic acid catalysts such as H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, HF, AlCl.sub.3, AlBr.sub.3, BF.sub.3 and the like with convenient, environmentally safe, and effective solid superacid catalysts. In spite of extensive work on solid acid catalysts such as zeolites, high surface area mesopores (MCM-41, etc.) silica-alumina, acid clays, heteropolyacids etc., none of these systems have truly superacidic properties. Nafion-H type polymeric resin materials having perfluoroalkylpolyether back-bones containing tethered --CF.sub.2 SO.sub.3 H groups are solid Bronsted superacids, but they lack thermal stability and high surface area properties. In comparison the parent liquid trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, CF.sub.2 SO.sub.3 H, has a Hammett's acidity constant, H.sub.0, of -14.1. (G. A. Olah, et al., Superacids, Wiley Interscience, 1985.) Thus, there is a need for new, nontoxic, stable superacid catalysts.